Knock-Offs, Rip-Offs, and Just Plain UGLY!

jingle_jangle · Post by **jingle_jangle** » Sat Sep 17, 2005 6:29 am

Up early on a Saturday morning and looking at eBay and trying to stay rational...

OK, far be it from me to act as JUDGE, JURY, and EXECUTIONER on these eBay monstrosities, but WTH:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Limited-Edition-Batman-Electric-Guitar-46-DC-Comics_W0QQitemZ7349728145

Yup. It's another BATMAN guitar, $2300.00 opening bid, and NO SUCK....er, TAKERS. Just above it on the same page is our old friend, BATMAN #10, still at $25,000.00 with nary an offer.

Here's a companion in crime:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Limited-Edition-Joker-Electric-Guitar-46-DC-Comics_W0QQitemZ7349728084

At least, a crime will have been committed if anybody pays real money for this. You loved the BATMAN headstock? Look at the one on the JOKER.

I though I woke up, but maybe I was still sleeping and my subconscious (which absorbs UGLY and stores it away like a twisted chipmunk) invented THIS to torment me:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Ztar-Mini-ZX_W0QQitemZ7350825805

In the old car biz, several legendary figures have prostituted themselves by charging anywhere from $10-$100 for a magic marker signature on a dashboard or hood panel...then there's Carroll Shelby, who used to be a class act until he married his third or fourth or fifth trophy wife. Look at this awful attempt to cash in on the Shelby legacy, which should be left alone lest this sort of thing pollute the back aisles of GC:

http://cgi.ebay.com/End-of-the-Line-SHELBY-COBRA-40th-Annivers-Then-No-More_W0QQitemZ7350145681

Another nightmare, this time from the hand of "custom luthier" Monson, whoever he might be...he has ZERO on eBay, and would like to see about $1100.00 for this "virus prototype". Can you help him out, please?

http://cgi.ebay.com/CUSTOM-MONSON-GUITAR_W0QQitemZ7349865928

If two are good, then THREE are better. Join me in celebrating Koreans With Chutzpah:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Galveston-Triple-Neck-Electric-Guitar-w-Hard-Case-NEW_W0QQitemZ7350816261

Last but not least, certainly, is our friend "MVPGRETSCH", who appears often on Gretschpages.com, usually displaying his latest brainfar... er, brainstorms.

This one he calls "DuoJet Eagle", I believe, and it was "built" in about 5 days using a whole passel of unconventional "techniques". He can't be bothered to learn proper, time-tested luthiery, so he sort of makes it up as he goes along. I've posted and asked "Why?", and he responded, saying "Hey--all I gotta do is sell ONE and I'm on my way". I told him that people tend to vote with their wallets, and not to open up any new bank accounts--yet. Read the description on this one:

http://cgi.ebay.com/gretsch-pickups-and-bridge-on-CUSTOM-EAGLE-GUITAR_W0QQitemZ7351302144

Inexplicably, a usually excellent craftsman on the Pages, "Paul Setzer", keeps egging him on with support and questions.

Have a happy few moments contemplating these. And comments are welcome, of course.

melibreits · Post by **melibreits** » Sat Sep 17, 2005 6:42 am

"Have a happy few moments contemplating these."

ROTFLOL! I haven't laughed so hard in weeks!

jamie · Post by **jamie** » Sat Sep 17, 2005 6:50 am

Holy Bat Turds that guy is a real joker, $2300 and that POS guitar doesn't even come with a real case! Wonder what he ended up paying for licensing?

That Custom "Gretsch" is one of the most ugly guitars I've seen. I don't know if the seller will find a buyer at any price for that one. Maybe it will fly away on it's own with those wings?

winston · Post by **winston** » Sat Sep 17, 2005 6:55 am

Nice binding on the Eagle it looks like something my 9 year old grand daughter might have done when she was 3.

That guitar should be used for firewood or placed in a hall of shame for home luthiers. YUK.

The Monson guitar is a shredders nightmare, obviously built by some un-cool guy trying to interpret their needs and desires.

The rest of that evil bay stuff well...... I'm not interested in buying **** like that.
Who does buy this stuff? It's beyond my capacity this morning to put my feelings into words.

jingle_jangle · Post by **jingle_jangle** » Sat Sep 17, 2005 7:49 am

Yep, and with a fair amount of guilt at being so mean-spirited, I am sorry if I have ruined anybody's day.

Everything I've shown here except the accordion-looking thing and MVP's, to me are ethically-numbnutz, cynical attempts to verify HL Mencken's and PT Barnum's platitudes re: human nature.

The accordion thing seems to be a legitimate attempt at a new instrument, but sure could've used the services of a real designer to give it some charm. It looks like a cracker box with a 2X4 nailed to it...

A few of my friends and I have corresponded with, and about MVP, and the guy is earnest and serious about this.

Y'know, at my University, we do a whole lot of discussing just which students will be able to make a living at design, and which would be better off in another profession. It comes down to, you either "get" it, or you don't. What "it" is, is much harder to define, but it comes down to something like Potter Stewart's definition of pornography, to wit:

"I don't know exactly what it is, but I know it when I see it!"

MVP does not have "it" (follow the link on his eBay page to see some of his other creations...), but to his credit he's bulletproof. He just lets critique and criticism roll off of his glittery back. For that he is to be admired! But I can do without his guitar ideas--they're just pain badly conceived and ill-crafted.

Someday, when I'm 85 and MVP is 65, and he's retiring from a life as the most celebrated Country and Western guitar builders, and I'm still a bitter old curmudgeon, I'll be forced to hide when he is receiving a Lifetime Achievement Award from the League of C&W Artists, or something...

brammy · Post by **brammy** » Sat Sep 17, 2005 8:06 am

I think thats the same Batman guitar that didn't sell a few weeks ago.

The only thing uglier than the Joker guitar would be if THIS guy were playing it:

ozover50 · Post by **ozover50** » Sat Sep 17, 2005 8:42 am

I'm glad I caught this thread before breakfast!!

Unbelievable........... I'm stunned!!

jingle_jangle · Post by **jingle_jangle** » Sat Sep 17, 2005 9:52 am

Kent, I did mention in my wordy post that started this thread, that the Batman guitar that was mentioned here a couple of weeks ago, was on the same eBay page as this one, listed for $25,000.00. That one was #10, this one was #46.

When there's THIS much difference in price, you gotta wonder what they originally cost and who's hosing whom.

Personally, I prefer the Joker one. It's the colors, you understand...

Black is just so...last year...

jingle_jangle · Post by **jingle_jangle** » Sat Sep 17, 2005 10:10 am

Scastles · Post by **Scastles** » Sat Sep 17, 2005 11:58 am

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a51/mvpgretsch/r7.jpg

I'd at least give a 'fair market' value for the Bigsby on this one you posted, Paul. And with winter comin' on and the price of natural gas being what it is, I know what I could do with the rest of it.

jingle_jangle · Post by **jingle_jangle** » Sat Sep 17, 2005 12:39 pm

I'd worry about that Bigsby a bit, Stan; it looks like it could have caused an unnatural growth on its host guitar...

jingle_jangle · Post by **jingle_jangle** » Sat Sep 17, 2005 12:40 pm

Aitch...I think yer diaper needs changing...

Have the maid wash it and dry it and use it to polish yer arsenal.

jingle_jangle · Post by **jingle_jangle** » Sat Sep 17, 2005 12:41 pm

Arse nal.

Get it?

winston · Post by **winston** » Sat Sep 17, 2005 12:52 pm

Mr. MPV really must think that he has an eye for beauty, form and color............ They are poorly conceived and butt ugly.

Paul, perhaps he designed (I use that term loosely)those guitars for a low budget cartoon.

jingle_jangle · Post by **jingle_jangle** » Sat Sep 17, 2005 1:14 pm

What he's trying to do, by his own admission, is get himself known via Gretschpages and eBay, that an unspecified Country/Western star uses one of his guitars in a video, and he can then get "$10K" (his own number) for each one he builds.

Apparently the hollowbodies were all once Gretsches. He hasn't discovered Rickenbackers yet...